It’s literally such a SHAME how LAME and WASTED Videl became.

[ABED]

She was so badass when she appeared. I really hope they can show her sparring with Pan and Mr Satan. She still has so much potential to shine.

How was she a badass? Capable and driven against low level criminals, but that's hardly badass.

This is my opinion but what made her great are these things below:

1st She kept the city safe from criminals by fighting them, a teenager fighting adults with weapons.
2nd She was able to figure out Gohan identity and almost figured out that Gohan was the golden fighter.
3rd Videl was able to learn to fly, a skill which not even Master Roshi, Chi Chi and Yajirobe can use despite being super human.
4th Videl even though she was greatly outmatched against Spovovich, she never gave up. She put 100% effort into her fight.
5th She is the only person that has no connection to Goku and his friends and family who knew Mr Satan was a fake and didn't beat Cell, when she found out Gohan identity that confirmed it.

Compared to us, sure, but compared to even the fighters at the start of the series, she's fighting nobodies.
2 shows she's capable but that doesn't make her a badass.
3. Roshi isn't unable to fly, he just never bothered to learn. Videl learned because she was taught by someone who knew how. You think the guy who can destroy the moon couldn't learn to fly if he wanted?
4. I'll give you that. She could take a beating, but the asterisk is that Spopovitch was holding back. Yamu made sure he didn't go so far Spopovitch would get DQ'ed.
5. How does that qualify her a badass?

[Dr. Casey]

Staying far away from the debate, but I do like Julie's Indiana Videl idea and think it would work well as something that's mentioned as a side-note during the 28th Budokai vignette or something. It's unique and fun and since Dragon Ball dabbles in a lot of different genres anyway wouldn't seem out-of-place.

[MasenkoHA]

Roshi not being able to fly just seemed weird to me. It’s funny how Toriyama introduced Bukujutsu to give the House of Crane an edge over the Turtle House but then it became the most basic of all ki manipulation techniques that Videl is able to learn it without much of a problem.

[super michael]

How was she a badass? Capable and driven against low level criminals, but that's hardly badass.

This is my opinion but what made her great are these things below:

1st She kept the city safe from criminals by fighting them, a teenager fighting adults with weapons.
2nd She was able to figure out Gohan identity and almost figured out that Gohan was the golden fighter.
3rd Videl was able to learn to fly, a skill which not even Master Roshi, Chi Chi and Yajirobe can use despite being super human.
4th Videl even though she was greatly outmatched against Spovovich, she never gave up. She put 100% effort into her fight.
5th She is the only person that has no connection to Goku and his friends and family who knew Mr Satan was a fake and didn't beat Cell, when she found out Gohan identity that confirmed it.

Compared to us, sure, but compared to even the fighters at the start of the series, she's fighting nobodies.
2 shows she's capable but that doesn't make her a badass.
3. Roshi isn't unable to fly, he just never bothered to learn. Videl learned because she was taught by someone who knew how. You think the guy who can destroy the moon couldn't learn to fly if he wanted?
4. I'll give you that. She could take a beating, but the asterisk is that Spopovitch was holding back. Yamu made sure he didn't go so far Spopovitch would get DQ'ed.
5. How does that qualify her a badass?

1st. Maybe they are nobodies, but that is still impressive. When Goku and Krillin beat nobodies in the 21st Martial Art Tournament that was impressive.
2nd. I find intelligent characters to be badass, do you know The Question from DC the faceless character? He has no power, but the mystery he solves and how cautious he is makes him badass.
3rd. You have a point with Master Roshi.
4th. Maybe Spovovich was holding back, however no one knew he was holding back. Although that doesn't take away Videl courage.
5th. Same as number 2.

[ABED]

I wasn't impressed by them beating nobodies because it took little effort.
What do you mean by badass?
I hardly see how see that's relevant. He's intentionally only hitting her with what she can take. I woluldn't consider that courage as much as being stubborn. It took more courage to quit.

[super michael]

I wasn't impressed by them beating nobodies because it took little effort.
Then you've twisted the term. What do you mean by badass?
I hardly see how see that's relevant. He's intentionally only hitting her with what she can take. I woluldn't consider that courage as much as being stubborn. It took more courage to quit.

Maybe badass isn't the right words, let just say I find it impressive when characters are able to solve mystery and hard cases.
What exactly does badass mean?

True your right since it was a friendly tournament there was no reason for Videl to be stubborn and carry on fighting, so you have that point. If it was a live or death battle then that would be different but that is irrelevant to the tournament fight.

[ABED]

Since it's a coloquialism, there's no universally agreed upon definition but it's around the ballpark of "a tough, uncompromising, or intimidating person."

I guess she qualifies in that she's definitely tougher than your average person but compared to our heroes even in the early years, she's nothing special

[Aim]

Misandry isn't real, sir. Men are not oppressed by women for being men. That is not a thing that exists.

That is some "Power+prejudice" deception.
An argument can be made about the asymmetry between misogyny and misandry, but denial is objectively wrong. I suppose those radfems who say "all men are trash" or that they want to abort male fetuses do not exist.

It’s sad the feminist name has been tainted so much by reactionary feminists. Misandry does exist but it’s not a problem, where misogyny leads to the death of women misandry doesn’t lead to these dire outcomes.

Aborting male fetuses…I remember seeing that.

[Kinokima]

I don’t think Videl has to become a main character but even writing her as a police officer or maybe taking over her father’s martial arts school would be better than her just being written as the wife of Gohan. It’s a small change but it would make her more of her own character. Personally I think officer Videl makes more sense than Officer Krillin.

[JulieYBM]

Noo, let's not make Videl a cop.

[PurestEvil]

I don’t think Videl has to become a main character but even writing her as a police officer or maybe taking over her father’s martial arts school would be better than her just being written as the wife of Gohan. It’s a small change but it would make her more of her own character. Personally I think officer Videl makes more sense than Officer Krillin.

I don't really see her becoming a cop. Yeah, she worked with them to stop criminals and such, but she never really came off as someone who would take orders from chiefs and such.

[MyVisionity]

She could be the Chief of Police, not taking orders but giving them.

That said, I understand the sentiment of not making Videl into a cop. Maybe just have her take over Satan's dojo instead.

[Kinokima]

Well taking over Satan’s school was my other suggestion. But I think Videl would want to be in a career that could help people.

Yeah I know people don’t like modern cops but the Dragon Ball world is not OUR world. And Videl has shown to want to stop crime. I guess she could help the police on the side like she was doing in HS. But in canon she is already working with the police of West City in some capacity. So not wanting her to work with cops because of negative feelings about cops in our world is a bit I don’t know…

[BWri]

Yeah, weird that she doesn't have any discernible hobbies or passions. Side characters aren't well developed anyway in the series. The anime tries at least like with Tien.

[MasenkoHA]

Yeah, weird that she doesn't have any discernible hobbies or passions. Side characters aren't well developed anyway in the series. The anime tries at least like with Tien.

Tenshinhan was also a major player for like 2 arcs

[JulieYBM]

Videl is introduced as 'suspicious of Gohan' and 'gripes about her dad all the time'. It's really annoying how her character resolves to heavily around men and being angry at them. Save for stopping one busjacking her character is quite flawed from the onset.

[PurestEvil]

Videl is introduced as 'suspicious of Gohan' and 'gripes about her dad all the time'. It's really annoying how her character resolves to heavily around men and being angry at them. Save for stopping one busjacking her character is quite flawed from the onset.

I mean, that's the problem, isn't it? She was pretty much created as an annex of Gohan's character. She couldn't exactly be a major player in that story, especially after Gohan was taken out of action twice.

[JulieYBM]

Videl is introduced as 'suspicious of Gohan' and 'gripes about her dad all the time'. It's really annoying how her character resolves to heavily around men and being angry at them. Save for stopping one busjacking her character is quite flawed from the onset.

I mean, that's the problem, isn't it? She was pretty much created as an annex of Gohan's character. She couldn't exactly be a major player in that story, especially after Gohan was taken out of action twice.

Then...change the plot? It's a plot, not a hurricane. It bends to peoples' will.

[PurestEvil]

Videl is introduced as 'suspicious of Gohan' and 'gripes about her dad all the time'. It's really annoying how her character resolves to heavily around men and being angry at them. Save for stopping one busjacking her character is quite flawed from the onset.

I mean, that's the problem, isn't it? She was pretty much created as an annex of Gohan's character. She couldn't exactly be a major player in that story, especially after Gohan was taken out of action twice.

Then...change the plot? It's a plot, not a hurricane. It bends to peoples' will.

I mean considering how Videl being shafted is not my only gripe with the Buu saga, I absolutely would have liked the plot to have gone differently. Or, at least, her characterization.

[JulieYBM]

I mean, that's the problem, isn't it? She was pretty much created as an annex of Gohan's character. She couldn't exactly be a major player in that story, especially after Gohan was taken out of action twice.

Then...change the plot? It's a plot, not a hurricane. It bends to peoples' will.

I mean considering how Videl being shafted is not my only gripe with the Buu saga, I absolutely would have liked the plot to have gone differently. Or, at least, her characterization.

Yeah it's just one issue I have with the arc, too. I need to do a full arc re-read to get those feelings down better but a simple first step is "Videl has a personality outside of hating men" and "Videl helps Gohan kick the shit out of Majin Buu."